• May 24, 2022
KURU: Creating anticipatory customer service experiences
Featuring Sean McGinnis
President & Integrator at KURU Footwear
In this Gladly podcast episode, join President & Integrator of KURU Footwear, Sean McGinnis, on balancing personalization with efficiency, and how leading with empathy acts as KURU's golden rule of service.
KURU Footwear is a Utah shoe brand built around relieving foot pain. Founder Brett Rasmussen set out to build the support people usually buy as separate inserts directly into the shoe, and customers started telling KURU it relieved pain they'd had for years. Sean says world-class anticipatory direct-to-consumer experiences are one of three pillars in KURU's marketing vision, an idea Brett picked up from a book.
"We try to do things in a very empathetic way, learn from our customers what they need in order to make good decisions, and use the data that is ever-present inside the business to try to treat customers the way we would want to be treated. It's the old golden rule."
Sean McGinnis
President & Integrator, KURU Footwear
Sean says that after KURU moved to Gladly from its prior platform, the team became 30% more efficient in how it handles customers. A returning customer can be routed back to the same KURU Guru they talked to before, so the Guru doesn't have to spend five minutes reading up on the history. A Guru like Fern can just tell the customer she remembers their call from a couple of days ago.
"If we could all reach a little bit higher and find either the technology, the systems, the process, or the methodology that will help us better serve our customers in a way that is more anticipatory while also being more efficient. That's what every brand in the country should want."
Sean McGinnis
President & Integrator, KURU Footwear
Plus, hear why KURU took an unconventional approach–avoiding distribution through Amazon or eBay, or wholesale via stores like Dicks Sporting Goods–to maintain full control of their customer experience.
"You’re either oriented for personalization or you’re oriented for efficiency and sometimes you can find both, and when you can, it’s magical."
Sean McGinnis
President & Integrator, KURU Footwear
About the host
Joseph Ansanelli is Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of Gladly, a CX platform powered by AI that puts people, not tickets, at the center of every conversation. In addition to leading Gladly, Joseph is a partner at Greylock Partners. As host of Radically Personal, he serves as a curiosity translator, drawing out strategies and hard-won lessons from CX leaders navigating the AI revolution, exploring how they prove ROI, manage change, and scale without compromise.
